Air India Delhi-Riyadh flight makes U-turn after Houthi attack on Saudi airport

Air India Delhi-Riyadh flight returns after Houthi attack on Saudi airport

NEW DELHI: An Air India flight from Delhi to Riyadh is currently returning to Delhi after Houthi attacks on airports in Saudi Arabia left one person dead and eight injured, according to the latest information.Air India and Air India Express have suspended their operations to and from Riyadh until October 10, 2026, PTI reported citing Air India officials.Air India flight AI2243 had departed from Delhi and was flying south, over Gujarat, before proceeding over the Arabian Sea. The pilots subsequently turned the aircraft around and are currently flying back towards Delhi.The turnaround comes amid heightened concerns over safety in Saudi airspace following Houthi attacks targeting airports in the country, including King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh.In a separate attack on King Khalid International Airport, one person was killed and eight others were injured, according to Saudi authorities cited by the BBC. The attack was among a series of strikes on Saudi airports over October 6 and 7.The Houthi group has claimed responsibility for the attacks, with its military spokesperson Yahya Saree saying the group targeted Saudi airports using ballistic missiles and drones.India on Thursday condemned the attacks on Abha International Airport and King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, calling the targeting of civilian infrastructure “completely unacceptable”.“India condemns the attacks over the past few days targeting Abha International Airport and King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, which have resulted in civilian deaths and injuries,” the MEA said.“The targeting of civilian infrastructure is completely unacceptable. We express our deepest condolences to the families of those who have lost their loved ones. We wish speedy recovery for those injured. We express solidarity and stand with the people and government of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia,” it added.According to Saudi authorities cited by the BBC, attacks on the two airports over two days killed three people and injured 36 others. Two people were killed and 28 wounded in an attack on Abha International Airport, while one person was killed and eight injured in the attack on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh.The latest attacks come amid renewed fighting between Saudi-backed government forces and the Iran-aligned Houthi group in Yemen.Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree said the attacks were carried out in “response to the Saudi aggression against our country”, claiming that Saudi Arabia had conducted “60 airstrikes and missile attacks in the past 24 hours”.The Houthi group also issued a “last warning” to global airlines operating flights through Saudi airspace, saying the area had become a “theater for our military operations”.Saree claimed that a ballistic missile targeting King Khalid International Airport “struck its target with precision and caused the disruption of airport operations.”“We reiterate our call and warning “for the last time” to all global airlines regarding the consequences of continuing to operate flights in Saudi airspace, which has become a theater for our military operations,” Saree said.

He added that airspace over the “sacred areas” in Mecca and Medina was exempt from the warning.The US Mission in Saudi Arabia on Wednesday also urged American citizens to exercise heightened vigilance amid the Houthi threats, warning that the situation could lead to flight cancellations, airspace closures and other travel disruptions.